History
Following the Civil War, hundreds of thousands of veterans, North and South, joined veterans' organizations for mutual support and camaraderie. Union veterans established the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) in 1866. Most of the Confederate veteran organizations merged into the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) in New Orleans in 1889.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans. The SCV was organized at Richmond, Virginia, in June 1896. At first the SCV took care of their literal fathers, but as the veterans died, the organization took on the task of maintaining their graves and monuments and keeping the public aware of the principles for which they had fought.
Reflecting the social and charitable nature of the organization, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush tendered letters of commendation to the SCV and affiliates, as have members of the United States Congress.
On May 25, 2009, President Barack Obama garnered praise from SCV Commander Chuck McMichael, who stated, "He upheld the tradition of the office to which he was elected. I do intend to send him a thank you letter. This is the kind of thing that transcends politics." This statement was in response to Obama's decision to continue the tradition going back sixteen presidents of the U.S. President sending a wreath to the Confederate Monument at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.
Some notable members of the SCV are or have been President Harry S. Truman, Hank Williams Jr., a country music star; Clint Eastwood, actor and director; R. Michael Givens, film director; and Patrick J. Buchanan, political commentator.
To mark the 150th anniversary of secession, the Georgia chapter of the SCV produced an advertisement in December 2010 presenting its version of the war. The History Channel refused to show the ad during their series on the Civil War, calling it "a partisan position on a controversial issue".
Read more about this topic: Sons Of Confederate Veterans
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